Attitude

Attitude is possibly the most important determinant in life, how we view ourselves and what results we get. How we look at things affects just about everything about who we are and how we approach life.

Browse the self-help section of any major bookstore or library and you discover most of the books deal with it in some major way.

In order to really help someone in an important, lasting way, we must deal with these and one's slant on life.

People make whole careers writing, talking, studying or preaching about it; and all successful people know that it is crucial in determining your life's outcomes.

But what is it, anyway?

Hal Urban, in Life's Greatest Lessons, describes it as "a mental outlook or frame of mind. It's how we think. It's what goes on inside a person -- thoughts and feelings -- about self, others, circumstances, life in geneal . . . It's also an expectency"

We most often get what we expect.

And Shad Helmstetter, in What to Say When you talk to Yourself, says, "everything we do is affected by our attitudes . . . (they) describe and define us . . . "

He also believes that self talk is like programming. This programming affects beliefs, which affects attitudes, which affect feelings, which affect behavior.

Fundamentally, we will follow a basic pattern on our way from an original idea to completion. First, we think, contemplate or PLANT, desire or ignite; then we accept, trust, CULTIVATE, see and expect; we then act, implement, construct, prove, and GROW; and, finally, we complete, HARVEST, and REAP reward, abundance and wealth.

What does and do you want your GARDEN to look like and produce?

There are many, many other steps and concepts along this way or process, but by the examples above, our intention is to indicate that attitude influences everything we do.

It, positive or negative, constructive or destructive, determins what we think, do and get as well as influences who we are.

A positive one will more often produce desirable results; a negative one will more often produce undesirable results.

The nice thing, though, is that it can be changed by you to one more suitable to your desires. We therefore have a choice of which slant on life we live by.

If you like yourself and the results you are getting, maintain a similar view of things; if not, and you want to change your outcomes, change the way you look and things and life.

The way we look at things reflects how and what we think; and self talk determines this. What we affirm affects what we believe , which affects feelings, habits and ultimately behavior . . . and then, our life itself; in fact, our destiny.

LaoTsu knew this thousands of years ago when he said . . .

Watch your thoughts, for they become words;
Watch your words, for they become actions;
Watch your actions, for they become habits;
Watch your habits, for they become character;
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny;

Attitude is the most important determinant in life, how we view ourselves and the outcomes we get.